Ring boxes



L. SOFO RING BOXES Dec. 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 1, 1955 L.SOFO RING BOXES Dec. 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1, 1955United States Patent O RING BOXES Application April 1, 1955, Serial No.498,573

4 Claims. (Cl. 206 -76) This invention relates to containers or displaycases for rings, commonly known as ring boxes.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a ring box which maybe utilized selectively for two different functions, one, as a closedcontainer for a ring and secondly, as a display fixture for a ring.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a new form of ring boxwhich has means for retaining rings of various diameters, widths,thicknesses and shapes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ring box having a buttonand a base which cooperate in holding rings of various dimensions andshapes perpendicularly to the base. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide in a ring box a button orprojecting member for engaging and supporting a ring in display positionupon a suitable base with the button mounted for rotation relatively tothe-base.

. Another object of the invention is to provide in a ring box a 'newform of ring supporting means which may conveniently support either onering or a pair of rings.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent froma perusal of the specification in which, for illustrative purposes, apreferred embodiment is shown.

In the drawings: .Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing one form of the ringbox closed;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same box with the cover removed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional view taken through the line 3-3of Fig. l;

' the threaded nail or screw, as well as afterwards.

Fig. 4 is a vertical central sectional view of the box,

showing itarranged in display position; 7 f v Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of another form of my ring box made in accordance with myinvention, showing the button rotated to one position; 1

' Fig. dis a perspective view of the same box showing the button rotatedto another angular position; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6. v Q

As shown in the Figures 1 to 3 of the drawing, the box itself consistsof a base and a removable cover. The base is provided with a bottom wall11 surrounded by a downwardlyextending peripheral flange 12 and anoutwardly flaringside wall 13 terminating in a vertical peripheralflange 14. 7

The cover portion of the box consists of a horizontal wall 15 surroundedby a peripheral flange 16, an outwardly flaring side wall' 17terminating preferably without a peripheral flange, but having ahorizontal extending finger piece 18. The relative proportions of thecover and base are, preferably, such that when the cover is presseddownwardly on the base it will snuglyjsnap into position, as shown inFig. 3 with the peripheral flange 14 holding the cover by frictionalengagement. To remove the cover, it is necessary only to lift on thefinger piece 18 to disengage the cover from the base.

2,864,497 Patented Dec. 16, 1958 ice When it is desired to use the boxas a display device, the cover is inverted in the manner shown in Fig. 4and its peripheral flange 16 is caused to surround and engagefrictionally the flange 12 of the base member. In this position themargin 19 of the cover member then constitutes the base support for theentire device.

The mechanism for holding a ring in display position is indicated inFigs. 3 and 4. The button in part for decorative purposes and in partfor functional reasons is formed of a top or covering surface consistingof a sheet 21 of velvet or other suitable soft material which is foldedover, and around a rigid member 22 with its margins clamped between thedownwardly extending flange 23 and a cup shaped metallic member 24 whichhas a flange 25, the velvet being thus clamped between the two flanges.The cup 24 and the member 22 are so proportioned as to form africtionally tight assembly with the margins of the velvet piece clampedbetween their respective flanges. -A metal plate 26 having a centralthreaded aperture is provided to be engaged by the threaded shank 27 ofa screw whose broad flanged head 28 will engage the under surface of thebottom wall 11 of the box base member. Thus assembled, the button istherefore firmly mounted on the base but may be rotated relativelythereto on shank 27, and may be so rotated when the button is beingsecured to the base by means of The details of construction of thebutton may, of course, be varied.

The upper surface of wall 11 is further provided with a circular concaverecess 29,- which may be molded to the shape shown integrally with thebox base. Conveniently, though not necessarily, both the cover and basemay be molded from plastic materials.

Preferably the bottom wall 11 of ,the base member is overlaid with a padhaving a cardboard layer 31 and a velvet layer 32, both held in place byadhesive, if desired.

Thereafter, when it is desired to support a ring in display position itis merely necessary to slide or insert a portion of the ring between thebutton and the resilient velvet and cardboard assembly which overliesrecess .29, The cooperation then between. that resilient assembly, theunder surface of the button and the recess serves to hold the ringfirmly upright for display. It will be per ceived that any ring of anyreasonable cross-section may be slid under the button partially into therecess, and the .above described features together with thesubstantially parallel side margins of the generally rectangularlyshaped button will cause the ring to stand vertically.

Because theshank of the button is screw threaded and pointed it iseasily assembled with the button by. inserting it through a suitableaperture in wall 11, thence through layers 31 and 32 into the threadedmember 26. As recess 29 is circular the button will cooperate with therecess no matter to what position it may be rotated during assembly orsubsequently. I The rotatable rectangular buttonjust described or onesomewhat similarly constructed, may be used to advan-' tage with themore familiarly shaped ring box shown in Figs. 5 to 7. r v

In Figures 5 to 7 I have shown a box body having side Walls such as 40and 41, a front wall 42, and a top wall 43 provided with a rectangularopening 44 through which a velvet pad 45 is displayed. A conventionalhinged cover 46, not forming a part of this invention, is also shown.The base plate 47 is not in place during assembly of the device. The pad45 is formedof a reinforcing cardboard supporting wall generallyindicated at 48 and having a front extension 49 and a rear extension 51and is secured by any suitable means, for example, by staples 52, oradhesive, to a sheet 53 of velvet or other equally attractive resilientmaterial. A velvet covered button is formed with a rigid core 54 overwhich is wrapped an assembly of a sheet metal cap 55 and an outsideflexible covering 56 .of velvet. This assembly is then secured to abacking plate 57 which may be thin sheet metalwhose margin is formed togrip frictiofially the edge of the velvet cover in cooperation with themargin of the cap 55 to hold the velvet cover permanently in place, asshown. Thereafter,an appropriate device is employed to secure theassembled button to the velvet pad assembly 45. This may conveniently bedone by employing a nail or tack having a broad head 58 and a threadedshank 59. The shank is then inserted through the cardboard sheet and thevelvet layer 53 and thence engages with a threaded opening in the baseplate 57, as shown in Fig. 7, so that the button is held firmly butpreferably in a rotatable manner.

In place of the threaded tack shown I may employ some other means forsecuring the button rotatably or nonrotatably to the pad in the box.

After the velvet pad assembly has been inserted. into the box to engagesnuglywith the top wall 43 of the box, and adhesively secured therein,if desired, or otherwise supported, the bottom plate 47 will be insertedand secured permanently in place therein in any appropriate manner, asby an adhesive. While any suitable material may be employed for formingthe walls of the box it is the current vogue to employ plastic material,and if the bottom plate be also of plastic material it may be locked inplace by a plastic adhesive or plastic solvent.

When the box is formed and assembled as shown in Fig. 7 it is then avery simple matter to slide the edge portion of a ring underneath thebutton, between the button and the yieldable pad 45, which cooperate tohold the ring erectly as shown in the drawing.

Merchants have found it frequently desirable to display, in the samering box, combinations of wedding rings and engagement rings, and thismay be done when using my ring boxes. As shown in Figs. to 7, a pair ofrings may be supported by the same button, and furthermore the buttonmay be rotated to display these rings in two planes, one rotated 90degrees from the other. Likewise, a pair of rings could conveniently bemounted in the box shown in Fig. 4.

It will be appreciated that by means of this invention I have providednew ring boxes having a number of practical advantages, and which may bemanufactured in various attractive shapes. Furthermore, it is clear thatthese new advantages are obtainable in boxes which are adapted to a lowcost of manufacture.

Instead of using the elongated rectangular button shown in the drawingsI may in some boxes substitute a button of circular horizontal crosssection, pivotally mounted at its center, which will cause a ringinserted under it to stand tilted rather than perpendicular to thesurface or pad on which the button is mounted.

Though the button shown and described is an assembled button I also mayuse buttons manufactured in other manners, such as molded plasticbuttons, for example.

While the drawings show pureferred forms of the invention it should beunderstood that the invention conprehends some modification andvariation from the disclosed structures, without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention defined in the following claims.

Having shown and described my invention, I claim:

1. In a ring box, a rigid base having an upwardly opening recess ofcircular horizontal cross section in its upper surface, a resilient padoverlying said base extending across said recess, an elongated buttonoverlying said .pad extending diametrically across said recess, andmounting means connecting the button to the base secured to the centralportion of said recess and of said button, said mounting meanspositioning the under surface of said button substantially contactingsaid pad, whereby the button and pad are relatively positioned forgripping be tween them the shank of a ring and to coact with the marginof said recess to hold the ring erect on said pad.

2. In a ring box, a rigid base having an upwardly opening recess in itsupper surface, a resilient pad mounted on said base extending acrosssaid recess and having a soft readily compressible top layer; anelongated button overlying said pad and whose ends overlie oppositemargins of said recess, and mounting means for said button connecteddirectly to the central portion of the underside of the button andthrough the pad to the central portion of the recessed portion of thebase, said mounting means including a rigid shank firmly supporting thebutton proportioned for spacing the undersurface of the button above themargins of the recess and a greater fixed distance above the bottom ofsaid recess thus providinga space between the bottom of the recess andthe button into which the shank of a finger ring may be inserted bycompression of said pad whereupon the margins of the recess coact withthe pad and button for holding such ring erect on the base.

3. In a ring box, a rigid base having an upwardly opening recess ofcircular horizontal cross section in its upper surface, a resilient padmounted on said base extending across said recess and having a softreadily compressible top layer, an elongated button overlying said padand whose ends overlie opposite margins of said recess, and mountingmeans for said button connected directly to the central portion of theunderside of the button and through the pad to the central portion ofthe recessed portion of the base, said mounting means including a rigidshank firmly and rotatably supporting the button proportioned forspacing the undersurface of the button above the margins of the recessand a greater fixed distance above the bottom of. said recess thusproviding a space between the bottom of the recess and the button intowhich the shank of a finger ring may be inserted by compression of saidpad whereupon the margins of the recess coact with the pad and buttonfor holding such ring erect on the base.

4. In a ring box, a layer of soft readily compressible material uponwhich to display a ring, a wall below said layer having a centralportion parallel to said layer, a symmetrical relatively narrow buttonhaving a rigid, core covered with soft material, said button havingparallel elongated side margins, a threaded post threadedly engaged withthe central portion of the underside of said rigid core of said buttonand extending downwardly therefrom through said layer and through saidwall terminating in a flattened enlarged head engaged with the undersideof said wall, said post mounting .the button rotatably in contact withthe top of said layer and spaced from the wall a fixed distance to allowspace for insertion of the shank of a ring under either end of thebutton between the button and wall by compression of the layer, wherebythe button and layer may coact to hold such ring erect on said layer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSD.147,256 Waldron Aug. 5, 1947 329,018 Coffin Oct. 27, 1885 483,399Smith Sept. 27, 1 892 666,941 Streit Ian. 29, 1901 1,528,229 WetherellMar. 3, 1925 1,615,324 Bulova Ian. 25, 1927 2,125,294 Lathrop -1 Aug. 2,1938 2,196,688 Warner et al Apr. 9, 1940 2,439,045 Fox Apr. 6, 1948

